Johannesburg, South Africa, 26 August- 4 September 2002Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development five priority : areas-water, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity. September 2002, by
Web Team

The negotiations on the major outcome document for the World Summit on Sustainable Development is essentially complete as round-the-clock negotiations at the ministerial level concluded with agreements on all major issues. There are still two or three objections on issues relating to health and human rights. Summit Secretary-General Nitin Desai said, in a press conference today, that the Summit had been successful sustainable in imparting a sense of urgency, in achieving "reasonably clear commitments to action in key areas," and in creating partnerships in the five priority areas-water, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity.

Among the agreements reached was a goal to reduce the proportion of people who lack access to proper sanitation, an agreement to work to increase access to modern energy services, to work toward increasing the use of renewable energies, and a number of targets and timetables aimed at protecting or restoring ecosystems.